Gettysburg

Parker and I took our trip to Gettysburg this past weekend.  Thanks to Joe and Diane for coming down and staying with the girls and Jazz for us!

We headed up around noon on Friday and got to our hotel called The Lodges at Gettysburg.  Such a neat place, on the outskirts of town but overlooking the battlefield (from a distance).  Instead of a typical hotel each room was its own separate cabin!  It was like having a mini house for a couple of days.

 We checked in, dropped our stuff and headed over to the visitor center around 330 Friday afternoon.

We bought tickets to the movie they show, which was great, and to the cyclorama that has been moved and completely restored.  It is a huge painting depicting all stages of the battle and it is a magnificent piece of work.  They said it was the largest painting in the United States.

 There is a scene painted in the cyclorama that was done with creative license by the artist - Lincoln had already been assassinated by the time this painting was completed so as an homage to Lincoln, the artist painted Lincoln (or a resemblance to him) into the painting in the same position he was carried out of Ford Theater.

Friday night we had reservations at The Carriage House Inn in Emmitsburg, MD.  Delicious!

Saturday morning after complimentary breakfast at the Lodges we headed to the visitor center again to meet our guide for the day.  On the way we passed a covered bridge - had to get out and check it out!

 Once we got to the visitor center we met our guide for the day, a man named Jack Drummond.  Having both been to Gettysburg previously this time instead of doing the auto tour Parker suggested hiring a guide to come with us and give us a personal tour - best idea ever.  We had him for three hours, he drove our car for us so we could look around and he was just so interesting and knowledgeable that I spent more time listening to him than I did taking pictures!

After we left Jack we headed to town to wander around and find some lunch.   By luck we stumbled across the Dobbin House.  Lunch was being served in the Springhouse Tavern which was actually in the cellar of the original house and lit only by candles!  It turned out to also be a part of the underground railroad so we felt honoured and a huge sense of history by spending some time there.

After lunch we headed back to the park to visit the cemetary.  There are two cemetaries side by side.  The original Evergreen cemetary was there before the war and that is where the name Cemetary Hill comes from if you read the history of Gettysburg.  Next to it is what is now the National Cemetary and where Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg address in November 1863. 

The soldiers monument now stands where Lincoln delivered the Address.

Alot of the Gettysburg war dead are buried in this cemetary.  Some by name and some known only by a number.

 That evening we stayed in the park as late as we could (7pm) and then headed to the Presidential Circle to wander around and headed into McClellan's Tavern for a late dinner.

Up early Sunday for breakfast and another quick drive through the park for a quick pic of the Pennsylvania monument and then home.